842 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. No. 492. 



being, in order that still greatei- achieve- 

 ments may be accomplished, is that all man 

 has gained which makes him the superior 

 of the beasts of the fields, has come as a 

 reward for increasing his knowledge of the 

 cosmos in which his lot is cast. The fact 

 that progress deiJends on and is an out- 

 come of human exertion, should stimulate 

 and encourage all manl^ind to strive to 

 reach a higher plane. The end in view is 

 the attainment of all possible knowledge, 

 and the application of that knowledge to 

 the increase of man's happiness, the lessen- 

 ing of his burdens, and the decrease of his 

 sufferings. The goal, on reaching which 

 man can say: The bounds of the knowable 

 have been attained, and all possible Avisdom 

 is mine ! is not in sight. So vast and intri- 

 cate are the laws and processes of nature 

 and of mind, that the Ultima Thule of hu- 

 man endeavor will never be reached. But 

 to approach and make nearer and nearer 

 approximations to the magnificent ideal, 

 like the alpine climber who seeks to scale 

 some cloud-encompassed peak, we need no 

 other guide than the assurance that all as- 

 cending paths lead toward it. 



The uplifting of man by providing him 

 with additional powers through research 

 may, as just suggested, be illustrated by the 

 tasks that mountaineers set for themselves. 

 It is true that on a mountain's side all as- 

 cending paths lead toward its summit, 

 but some are impassable, others beset mth 

 extreme difficulties, and only one perhaps 

 is practicable. The discovery of that way 

 is the mountaineer's hope. Many fruitless 

 efforts must be made, but at last some one 

 climber, more skilled, steadier of nerve, or 

 stronger and more enduring than his com- 

 panions, discovers the right way and others 

 follow, guided and encouraged by his ex- 

 ample and counsel. The foremost moun- 

 taineer is an explorer. Following in his 

 foot-steps but improving the path he has 

 made and discovering side excursions from 



it, others gain glorious alpine gardens, and 

 traverse shimmering snow-fields never be- 

 fore pressed by human foot. In a similar 

 manner, among those who strive to make 

 advances into the realm of the unknown in 

 other directions, some one investigator 

 gifted beyond his fellows, inspired by a new 

 idea, or discovering a new meaning in some 

 well-known fact, like the successful moun- 

 taineer, leads the way. When such an ad- 

 vance is made, others are encouraged to fol- 

 low and a new and wider view of nature is 

 obtained. The all-important fact is that 

 some one shall lead. Leaders in research 

 have appeared from time to time and in 

 increasing numbers as the importance of 

 their services to mankind has become more 

 and more appreciated and the demand for 

 an increase of knowledge more general. 

 Some of the pioneers in research have been 

 greater than others, but all alike have as- 

 sisted in the great Avork of extending the 

 boundaries of the known. The recognition 

 of the fundamental importance of research 

 has been slow, and resulted from the ob- 

 served increase with its advance in ma- 

 terial gains, enhanced comforts, greater 

 effectiveness of labor, better health and 

 greater average length of life. As these 

 and other similar results have been recog- 

 nized, the demand for more knowledge, in 

 order that still other forces might be 

 utilized, has steadily increased, and never 

 before in the world's history has this de- 

 mand been greater than now. 



In a large view of human advancement 

 research work in pure philosophy, from 

 which but little direct aid to industry is 

 perhaps furnished, must be reckoned fully 

 as important as the discoveries of the chem- 

 ist, the physicist and others, which are 

 widely utilized in enhancing man's ma- 

 terial welfare. The discoveries in relation 

 to the flow of electricity, or the studies 

 which furnished a knowledge of the prop- 

 erties of steam, great as have been the re- 



